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I have a few opinions about the comments delivered by the sports network broadcaster a well-known announcer after Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz in the US Open last eight. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, the commentator is from the US – and athletic competitions frequently lend themselves to patriotic sentiment. Some letdown would have been appropriate. Rather, he invoked the continued drought of American men at the majors: none of them has won a trophy since the last American champion in 2003, and Fritz had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone enjoy a narrative, me too. But really. Even if Fritz had beaten Djokovic for the first time, force of nature the Spanish star was waiting in the following match, whom he has yet to beat in an official match. And had he someway survived that, it would have been title holder Jannik Sinner, against whom the American had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. The two young stars had also divided the last seven grand slams (and the Spaniard proceeded to defeat a fatigued Serbian in the next round). He said in press after the loss that he in fact liked his path, because it presented the opportunity to beat the top three players in the sport back-to-back. He is well within his right to aspire to the achievement; an competitor is meant to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic last eight match what other person in their right mind had the drought of US winners in mind?

The American star's weaker delivery the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, twenty-eight, is ranked number four in the global rankings entering this week’s year-end championships and has won his last six matches over third-ranked the German with growing comfort. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the coming years. But evidently that at present, that’s as far as he can climb: Sinner and Alcaraz lie a chasm of ranking points away. Fritz’s elite serve and concussive power on each forehand and backhand are more than adequate to dispose of most opponents on the professional circuit. When facing the handful of generational talents, though, he is frequently helpless. The past few years has witnessed the curious rise of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and fluidity of much shorter players. Fritz is six-foot-five and looks it. His footwork is rigid, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the other player was dictating, and hitting a soft shot versus him is usually a safe bet. That acts as a pretty severe limitation on his potential.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the ten-year period, he was circling the lower end of the top 30. Two years after, he was sniffing the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly surged up to No 4 – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and beating all-time-greats like Alcaraz, the Italian, and even a declining Serbian, is the toughest of all. What was Fowler have been thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was appropriate commenting on the continuing drought of American men lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the US Open in the quarter-finals? The thirst is simply too much and the respect for the difficulty of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a personal best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in the summer.

Fritz’s performance in that very quarter-final ought to have been enough of an indication. Djokovic won in four rounds, a win that only seemed tenuous for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had survived a couple championship opportunities and had a chance to hold for 5-5. The duo looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with the American earning numerous chances to break. But Djokovic rescued service break opportunity after break point, prolonging the streak to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did claim one of the chances at 5-5 in the second set, he promptly produced a terrible game to lose his own serve once more; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle secondary to the real battle and compelled him to use far too much energy to prevail. Down set points in the final game, Fritz’s first serve sailed to the sky. He extended the contest twice on his backup delivery, but finally committed two errors. It wasn’t a choke, in my opinion, just a consequence of needing to hit an excessive number of second serves.

The match was quite compelling evidence that Fritz is insufficiently skilled to beat any form of Djokovic, who lost to the Spaniard in the next round and never especially seem like he thought he could win. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers now, but has developed enough experience and strategic intelligence to make up for a significant portion of the decline. The issue is the individuals who were anticipating the American to win, and pressuring him to do so, when he was had not done anything that suggested he would.

The American is an valuable contributor to the tour nonetheless. He’s a patient, thoughtful voice in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP except for Daniil Medvedev, prepared to not just say his emotions or the strategy he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America failing to spawn a men's grand slam winner since the last American titlist feels unfair. (Now that the fellow American is rubbing shoulders with him in the standings, perhaps they can divide that burden.)

Year-End Championships: Singles Groups

Jimmy Connors Group

• Carlos Alcaraz (Sp)
• The American contender
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• The Italian stylist

Swedish icon Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• The rising American
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it forever if I fail to accomplish it,” the American told an interviewer in the summer of claiming a grand slam. I hope he understands that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that objective, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is actually highly improbable for all other players. {